The guy that survives on no money.

[SentraSE-R]

I don't see any point in expanding the discussion to include the evils of western medicine, especially since average longevity figures validate the efficacy of western medicine. Before the development of antibiotics, insulin, and all those other wussification crutches that certain of you snipe at, our tough societal guts gave us average lifespans that were decades (not just years) shorter. If you disagree, produce some reputable data to support your claim.

Sure, there's a lot of waste in this country and in most "civilized" societies. That waste allows the subject of this thread to eke out a reasonably comfortable living. Obviously the tons of good food and other products that are thrown away daily could and should be put to better use. I took off my FDA hat years ago when I retired, so I'm just one of the boys here, with no reason to promote FDA policies.

But I'm not "fearmongering" to caution you scavengers about the problems you can't see, smell, or taste. It may be worth it to you to dumpster dive for bratwurst. It's not worth it to me, knowing the risks from invisible pathogens. One bout with botulism, and it'll be over for you. Clostridium botulinum produces the most potent toxin known to man, and it does it odorlessly, under anaerobic (i.e. sealed) conditions. With an LD50 of .005ug/kg, 1/30,000,000 (yes, that's one 30 millionth) of an ounce is enough to kill a man. That's not "fearmongering." It's the facts.

I'm as much a zealot for environmental causes as anyone here. I commuted on a bicycle for ten summers. I commuted on motorcycles for most of the 100,000 miles I rode. I vanpooled, carpooled, and rode public transportation. So yes, I certainly see societal problems as a non fed.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

No, seriously- pussification is real! I use it to encompass many things; not just allergies and such... We got candy ***es that can't walk to any parking space but the closest one, can't get in a vehicle in the winter unless it's been autostarted 20 minutes prior, can't go for 15 minutes without checking in with the wife on the cell phone... but back on track, it's this idea that everything that isn't "just so" MUST be discarded.

Can't, or don't want to? There are also people who get their panties in a ruffle because they think other people should be acting in certain ways, which is just as much "pussification" as the other stuff is. But so what? I'm not going to stick my nose into it to the point where I'll complain about it on the net.

[alohaspirit]

If I saw my friend take a package of brat from his fridge and throw it in the trash, id save it

If I passed a garbage can and saw a brat lying there underneath more trash, Id leave it


Like I said, you pick and choose.

[dcb]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

...
But I'm not "fearmongering" ...One bout with botulism, and it'll be over for you...

Hmm...
7.5% mortality rate.
27.5 food related cases per year.
and I don't know of any "one day past expiration" botulism cases involving doritos.

I think it is a little extreme to imply death by botulism without quantifying the risks a bit more. If the point is to scare people out of thinking rationally, sorry but that I would consider fearmongering, I suspect your comments had their intended effect on most people though (it isn't worth the risk, I don't have to change my thinking, yay, give me any excuse to not change my thinking). However, the probability of your scenario seems exceedingly remote and should have been de-emphasized if it were to be presented fairly.

but do can your stuff @ 250 for at least 3 min (pressure cookers are awesome)

[Christ]

Botulism... isn't that the same stuff that western "doctors" are injecting into women's faces? Asses?? Bo-Tox, isn't it? What's rational about that over eating discarded food products?

[dcb]

Lol, it isn't pot so it must be ok
"No pot for you dying aids/cancer/glaucoma guy, no matter how much comfortable it makes you or enhances your appetite."
"Oh you want to shoot botulism in your face? Here let me label that for you first".

Gee, I want to hear more of that wisdom.

[Christ]

I wonder if any insurance company covers the Bo-Tox treatment... I'll have to look into that.

I can't think of one off-hand that covers "experimental medical marijuana".

You raise a good point, my friend.

[SentraSE-R]

You guys have your agendas, and logic isn't going to change them .

dcb,

You brought up the topic of fearmongering before I even mentioned botulism in this discussion, so singling out its rarity (which does nothing to lessen its severity) is a red herring. I simply mentioned it as an example of an odorless, tasteless, hazard that's going to pass everyone's visual, smell, and taste tests. If you guys want to take the risk, it's up to you to know the risks involved. Since none of the scavengers discussed the not-so-pretty aspects of scavenging I guess I'm the designated fearmonger.

You claim I'm fearmongering to point out the hazards of eating spoiled food. Okay, the 6-8 million deaths annually worldwide from food poisoning aren't a real worry. I'm just fearmongering to put food poisoning on your radar. The sixty to eighty million people worldwide who are affected by food poisoning (source - Wikipedia) annually are proof that a scavenger's chance of food poisoning is exceedingly remote. Sure, and I've got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

I'm not going to stick my nose into it to the point where I'll complain about it on the net.

Didn't you just?

[SentraSE-R]

Food poisoning is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a narrow category including (edit: corrected spelling) enterotoxin poisoning and bacteria that don't invade the mucosa. To recognize the full impact of foodborne pathogens, you have to include the far more common category of foodborne illness. In the USA, per Wikipedia, foodborne illnesses account for 76 million cases annually, affecting 30% of the population, and causing 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths each year. Messing with those bugs is like playing Russian Roulette with two cartridges in the cylinder - exceedingly poor odds, to say the least. I haven't eaten chicken in 13 years, because Campylobacter infection causes me 12 hours of vomiting. And since the FDA doesn't regulate chicken, this is coming from Darrell the consumer, not Darrell the former FDA guy.